BUFFALO, N.Y. — Monday, Damar Hamlin’s Chasing M’s foundation hosted a youth football clinic and back-to-school drive that and provided free backpacks, haircuts, and school supplies to local kids in need.
“My parents raised me and always wanted me to stand on being more than an athlete. It takes a village to raise a kid, and I am in a position to be able do my part [in helping that].”
Hamlin also joined in coaching a flag football team throughout Monday afternoon, helping children enjoy their final days of summer.
“He’s famous and cool,” said one of the kids attending the event, Troy Jenkins.
“It was really fun. He’s actually the first bills player I ever met,” said Jayren Rodriguez who played in a game Hamlin coached in.
Hamlin shared that this event was one of his ways of saying thank you to the thousands of people across the world who donated to his foundation.
“My purpose has always been bigger than just the game of Football.”
“I want these kids to leave with an uplifted spirit as they go to start their school year,” Damar’s father, Mario Hamlin said. “It’s a lot deeper than football.”
Mario Hamlin is the executive Director of the Chasing M’s Foundation and said they reached out to the Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo to aid the kids in the area that needed this extra help the most.
“We were looking for under-resourced communities that we could really make an impact in. The kids here were definitely the kids we had in mind.”
The event also used this opportunity to teach people of all ages how to perform CPR and use an AED.
“Raising awareness for CPR and AEDs and taking this worldwide will be something that is in my mission forever,” Damar Hamlin said.
Damar did make the Bills final 53-man roster and will return to regular season action next Monday night against the Jets.m
You can watch that game on 7ABC. Live coverage starts at 7 p.m.
